Cartons



K. ENGEL Oct. 1, 1963 CARTONS 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K.ENGEL Oct. 1, .1963

CARTQNS a Sheets-Sheet '2 Filed Dec, 11,- 1961 K. ENGEL Oct. 1, 1963CARTONS s Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K,- ENGEL CARTQNS Oct. 1,.1963

8 Sheets-Sheet 4 I. d I a a KM 5/ W Filed Dec. 11, v 1961 paw K. ENGELCARTONS a Sheets-Sheet s Filed Dec. 11, 1961 K. ENGEL CARTONS- Oct. 1,1963 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 KM WM 6 {W145 K. ENGEL CARTONSf 8 Sheets- Sheet 7 Filed D60- 11, 1961 K. ENGEL CARTONS 8 Sheets-Sheet8 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 United States Patent 3,105,608 QARTONS Karl Engel,Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor, by mesue assignments, to Unipak()verseas Ltd, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Dec. 11, 1961,Ser. No. 158,416 Claims priority, application Canada May 11, 1961 4Claims. (Cl. 220-105) This invention relates to cartons and moreparticularly to the type of carton formed from a unitary member.

Heretofore, many proposals have been made for forming cartons from asingle unitary member. However, for one reason or another, suchproposals have not proved to be too satisfactory.

For instance, it has been known to form a carton from a unitary memberso as to provide a wall structure with an interior partition assemblysecured thereto dividing the carton into a pair of adjacentcompartments, and an extensible carrying handle cooperating with thepartition assembly. Due to the choice of design of the unitary member,however, it has been impossible to provide such a carton with a topclosure integral with the wall structure. Moreover, neither of the pairof compartments have been sub-divided by partitions into a plurality ofsmaller compartments which, it will be appreciated, is a desirablefeature when considering the transportation of fragile articles such asglass bottles.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to overcome the abovedisadvantages by forming a carton having a wall structure, an integraltop closure, and an interior assembly of mutually transverse partitionstherein including an extensible carrying handle, from a single unitarymember.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel means,integral with said interior assembly, serving to limit the amount ofdownward movement of the extensible handle.

This invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of one-piece blank adapted to formthe wall structure and interior assembly of the carton;

FIGURE 2 is an obverse view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 37 show various stages of assembly of a knock-down carton formedfrom the blank of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a detailed end view of an erected carton formed from theblank shown in FIGURE 1, with the end Wallpanel removed to show thehandle member in retracted and non-detached position.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the carton with part of the wallstructure broken away to show the handle detached from its associatedlongitudinal partition and in its extended position; and

FIGURE 10 is a detail of FIGURE 9, on an enlarged scale showing theposition of the aforementioned novel means for limiting the amount ofdownward movement of the handle member.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG- URES 1 and 2, theone-piece blank shown therein is scored and incised to provide a pair ofside wall panels 1, 2, a pair of end wall panels 3, 4, a pair of top endclosure flaps each having a slot 6 therein, a pair of top side closureflaps 7 each having a recessed portion 3, a pair of bottom end closures9, and a pair of bottom side closures 11 End wall panel 3 is provided,on one face thereof, (see FIGURE 2), with a strip 11 of any suitablepressure sensitive adhesive extending, in depth, from its associated topend closure flap 5 to its associated bottom end closure 9. Moreover, oneface of end wall panel 4 3,105,608 Patented Get. 1, 1963 is alsoprovided with a strip 12 (see FIGURE 2) of pressure sensitive adhesive.

Side wall panel 2 is integrally connected, by means of a common scoreline 13, to a partition end flap 14 corresponding in area to the area ofadhesive strip 11 on end wall panel 3, one face of said end flap 14being coated with pressure sensitive adhesive as is shown in FIGURE 1.

The end flap 14 is integrally connected, by means of a common score line18, to a first primary panel 19 which is integrally connected to asecond primary panel 20 by means of a common score line 21. The mainpanel 19 is also integrally connected, by means of a common score line22, to a third primary panel 23, said first and third primary panels 19and 23 having a common cut-out 24 therein.

A pair of complementary handle panels indicated gen erally at 25, 26,each provided with a hinged portion 27 adapted to form a hand hole, areintegrally connected together along a common score line 28. Each of saidhandle panels are provided with a main body portion 29 having a pair ofspaced shoulders 30 and handle panel 25 is integrally and detachablyconnected to the third primary panel 23 along a weakened score line 31.

Each of the first and second primary panels 19 and 20 is provided with ahingeable end tab 32 integrally connected thereto along an interruptedline 33 of alternate incisions and scoring, one face of each of saidtabs'33 being coated with pressure sensitive adhesive.

Moreover, each of said first and second primary panels 19 and 2% isprovided with a plurality of secondary panels 34, 36 and 27, each ofsaid secondary panels 34 being integrally and hingedly connected, at oneend thereof, to its associated primary panel along a common score line35. One end of each of the secondary panels 36 and 37 is integrally andhingedly connected to the associated primary panel along a common scoreline 38. Each pair of secondary panels 36 and 37 is spaced apart bymeans of a tertiary panel 39 which is integrally and hingedly connected,at one end thereof, to the adjacent secondary panel 34 along said commonscore line 38. The other end of each of said tertiary panels 39 ishingedly and integrally connected to the adjacent secondary panels 36and 37 along an interrupted score line 40.

As will be seen from reference to FIGURE 2, each of the side wall panels1, 2, is provided with an area 41 of pressure sensitive adhesivecorresponding to the area of the tertiary panels 39, one face of which,as will be seen from FIGURE 1, is similarly coated. As will also be seenfrom FIGURE 1, one face of each handle member 2:3, 26, and a marginalstrip 42, adjacent the weakened score line 31, of the third primarypanel 23, is also coated with pressure sensitive adhesive.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that a strip 43 of pressuresensitive adhesive is provided on the obverse face of the first primarypanel 19 as is a similar strip 44 on the second primary panel 20. A tab45 is also provided in the second primary panel 20 adjacent its marginalside edge, the strip 44 of adhesive not being applied to the tab 45.

An incision 46, adjacent the common score line 21, is provided in eachof said first and second primary panels 19 and 20, said incisions 46being parallel with one another. A pair of angular incisions 47, spacedapart by said incisions 46, is provided in each of said first and secondprimary panels 19 and 21).

In assembling the one-piece blank shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 to provide aknock-down carton, the handle panel 26 is folded along score line 29 sothat its coated face is in registry with the coated face of handle panel25, as is shown in FIGURE 3. The blank is then turned over, as is shownin FIGURE 4 and the combined handle panels 25, 26 folded along theweakened score line 31 so that they overlie the third primary panel 23.Thereafter, the combined handle panels 25, 26 and the third primarypanel 23 is folded along score line 22 so that they overlie the upperpart of the first primary panel 19 as is shown in FIGURE 5 The secondprimary panel 26? is then folded along the common score line 21 so thatit overlies the first primary panel 19 and the lower portion of thethird primary panel 23, thereby bringing its coated strip 44 intoregistry with the coated strip 43 of primary panel 19 as well as withthe coated strip 42 of the third primary panel 23, this position beingshown in FIGURE 6.

It will be seen from FIGURE 6 that the lower edge,

formed by the weakened line 31, of the third primary panel 23 issubstantially in alignment, or slightly above, the upper edge of the tab45 formed in the second primary panel 20. It will also be recalled, andwill be seen from FIGURE 2, that the pressure sensitive adhesive strip44 on the second primary panel 28 does not extend over the tab 45 Thus,when the knock-down carton is formed, only the coated marginal edge 44of the second primary panel 249 will adhere to the coated strips 43, 42of the first and third primary panels 19, 29 respectively and not thetab 45. Accordingly, when pressure is brought to bear on the blank, asis described hereafter, the tab 4-5 will be angulated with respect tothe vertical plane of its associated second primary panel 2%.

The partition end flap 14 is then folded along the score line 13 so thatthe former overlies the side wall panel 2 and so that the coated face oftertiary panel 39 of the second primary panel 2% is brought intoregistry with the coated area ll of said side wall panel 2, and so thatthe coated face of each tab 32 is brought into registry with the strip12 on end wall 4, as is shown in FEGURE 7. It will be noted from FIGURE7 that the upper edge of the combined handle members 25, 2.6, will, atthis stage, be coincident with the upper edge of the first and thirdprimary panels 19 and 23.

Finally, side wall panel 1 is folded over along a common score line 48integrally connecting it tothe end Wall panel 4 so as to bringaboutregistry between (a) the coated area 41 on said side wall panel 1 andthe coated face of tertiary panel 29 of the first primary panel 19 and(b) the coated strip 11 on the end wall panel 3 and the coated face ofpartition end flap 14.

Pressure is then applied to the blank to bring about adhesion betweenthe components and to form a knockdown carton.

When it is desired to fill such a carton, it is duly erected and, in sodoing, the partition end flaps 14 and 32 will, due to their adhesionwith their associated and respective end wall panel 4, 3, bend along therespective score lines 18 and 33 so as to extend at right angles to theprimary panels 19, 2b and 23, and handle member. Thus, the primarypanels 19, 2t} and 23 will extend at right angles along the centrelongitudinal axis of the carton between the two mutually opposed endwalls 3 and d, as will the handle member.

Similarly, due to the adhesion between each side Wall panel and itsassociated tertiary panel 3%, the secondary panels 34, 36 and 37 of thefirst primary panel will hinge about their respective score lines 35, 33and 4 3, so as to extend at right angles between said first primarypanel 19 and its adjacent side wall panel 1. Concurrently, the secondarypanels 34, 36 and 37 of the second primary panel will similarly hinge soas to extend at right angles between the latter and the adjacent sidewall panel 2.

The bottom closure flaps are sealed in any convenient manner, such ascg. by pressure sensitive adhesive, staples, or masking tape.

When the carton has been filled with the desired contents, the topclosure fiaps are folded over and sealed in any convenient manner suchas just described'in COlll1C- tion with the bottom flaps.

When it is desired to carry the carton, the user inserts his fingerswithin the recessed portions 8 of the top side flaps 7 pushingdownwardly on tabs 50, and grasps the upper edge of the handle member,formed by the two panels 25 and 26, pulling upwardly.

Referring now to FIGURE 8, this shows the handle member in its lowermostposition and before it has been detached from the third primary panel23. On the other hand, FEGURE 9 shows the handle member in its fullyextended, and hence detached, position.

As w ll also be seen from FIGURES 8 and 9, the first primary panel 19constitutes a first longitudinal partition and the second and third 20and 23 constitute a second longitudinal partition. The pair oflongitudinal partitions extends along the central longitudinal axis ofthe carton, and said latter partitions and the transverse partitionsformed by the secondary panels, divide the interior of the carton into aplurality of article receiving compartments as well as constituting aninterior assembly which also includes the handle member.

Initial upward movement of the handle member, serves completely to severthe weakened score line 31 so that the handle member is detached fromthe third primary panel 23. The handle member will continue to moveupwardly under the direction of the users hand, until the shouldersabout the underside of the common upper edge, formed by score line 22,integrally connecting the pair of longitudinal partitions together. Whenthis occurs, further up-.

ward or outward movement of the handle will be prevented. ment between afirst retracted position in which, when the top closure is in its closedoperative position, said handle member lies beneath the top closure anda second operative position in which a portion thereof projects abovethe top closure for carrying purposes, the cooperation between theshoulders 36 of the handle member and the underside of the common upperedge of the pair of longitudinal partitions, forming means to limit theextent of movement of the handle member in one direction.

.Due to the angulation of the tab 45 on the second primary panel 2%) anddue to its location between the pair of longitudinal partitions, whenthe handle member is moved downwardly, the lower edge of said handleinern- 1. A carton of the type for-med from-a unitary member and havingan integral 'Wall structure comprising a pair of mutually opposed sidewalls, a pair of mutually opposed end walls and a bottom; said cartonincluding a top closure integral with said wall structure, and aninterior assembly; said interior assembly including a pair oflongitudinal partitions connected together along a common upper edge andeach extending along the central longitudinal axis of the carton betweena selected pair of mutually opposed walls and being secured thereto; a'

slot in said common upper edge; a plurality of transverse partitionseach integrally and hingedly connected, at one end thereof, to anassociated longitudinal partition and being secured, at the other endthereof, to an adjacent wall, said longitudinal and transversepartitions dividing the interior or the carton into a plurality ofarticle receiving compartments; said interior assembly also including ahandle member, having an underedge integral with p and detachablysecured to a selected one of said longitudinal partitions; a pair ofshoulders on said handle, the latter being s idably disposed within saidpair of longi- Thus, the handle member will be capable of move- Itudinal partitions and in said slot and being movable between a firstretracted position in which, when said top closure is in its closedoperative position, said handle member lies beneath said top closure anda second operative position in which a portion thereof projects abovesaid top closure for carrying purposes; said handle member beingadapted, upon initial movement towards its said second operativeposition, of detachment from its said associated longitudinal partition;said shoulders being adapted to abut the underside of said common upperedge to limit the extent of movement of said handle in its said secondoperative position and after said detachment; and a tab on a selectedone of said longitudinal partitions and angulated with respect to thevertical plane of the latter, said tab being located above saidtransverse portions and between said pair of longitudinal partitionswhereby it is adapted to be contacted by said underedge of said handlemember to limit the extent of movement of the latter to its firstretracted position after said detachment.

2. A carton according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal partition towhich the handle member is detachably secured is constituted by an upperpanel and a lower panel, said handle member being detachably secured tothe lower edge of said upper panel; and wherein said tab is integralwith said lower panel and is located below the lower edge of said upperpanel; the upper marginal edge, bordering said tab, of said lower panelbeing secured in face-to-face contact with the lower marginal edge ofsaid upper panel as well as with the remaining longitudinal partitionwhereby said tab is urged into its angulated position with respect tosaid longitudinal partitions.

3. A one-piece blank adapted to form a multi-cell carton having aninterior assembly defining partitions there-in and an extensible handlemember, said blank including a plurality of panels disposed in seriatimside-by-side relation and integrally and hingedly connected together;certain of said panels being adapted, on folding of the blank, to form apair of mutually opposed end walls and a pair of mutually opposed sidewalls; each of said certain panels being provided with a pair of spacedflaps integrally and hingedly connected thereto, each of said pairs offlaps, on folding of the blank, being adapted to form carton top andbottom closure flaps; a first primary outer one of the remainder of saidpanels being scored and incised to form, on folding of the blank, afirst longitudinal partition within the carton extending along thecentral longitudinal axis of said carton; one end of said outer panelmember being integrally and hingedly connected to a partition flap and,at its other end, being integrally connected to a seelcted one of saidwall panels by means of an intermediate partition flap; said flaps, onfolding of the blank, each being secured to an adjacent wall panel andbeing adapted, on erection of the carton, to form a pair of partitionstransverse to said longitudinal partition so as to locate opposite endsof the latter; said first primary panel also being integrally andhingedly connected to second and third primary panels, adapted, onfolding of the blank, to cooperate with one another and said firstprimary panel to form a second longitudinal partition extending alongthe central longitudinal axis of the carton; said first and secondlongitudinal partitions being connected together along a common upperedge provided with a slot therein; each of said first and second primarypanels having a plurality of secondary panels integrally and hingedlyconnected thereto along common score lines and adapted, on folding ofthe blank and erection of the carton, to form a plurality of transversepartitions extending at right angles between an associated longitudinalpartition and an adjacent wall of the carton to which they are secured;said third primary panel having at least a first handle panel detachablysecured thereto along a common weakened score line to form an extensible handle member, having a pair of shoulders and an underedge,slideably disposed between said pair of longitudinal partitions and insaid slot and movable between a first retracted position in which, whensaid blank is folded and the carton erected, said handle member liesbeneath said top closure flaps, and a second operative position in whicha portion thereof projects above said top closure flaps for carryingpurposes; said weakened line permitting said handle member, upon initialmovement towards its second operative position, to be detached from saidthird primary panel; said shoulders being adapted to abut the undersideof said common upper edge to limit the extent of movement of said handlemember in its said second operative position and after said detachrnent;a selected one of said first and second primary panels being incised toprovide a tab which, when said blank is folded and said carton iscreated, is angulated with respect to the vertical plane of itsassociated primary panel and is located above said transversepartitionsand between said pair of longitudinal partitions whereby it isadapted to be contacted by said underedge of said handle thereby tolimit the extent of movement of the latter to its said first retractedposition after said detachment.

4. A one-piece blank according to claim 3 including a further handlepanel member, articulated to said first mentioned handle panel member,each provided with a pair of shoulders and a reduced carrying portion, aselected one of said handle panel members being detach ably secured tosaid third primary panel along said common weakened score line, andwherein said tab is integral with said second primary panel and islocated below the lower edge of said third primary panel; the uppermarginal edge, bordering said tab, of said second primary panel and whensaid blank is folded, being secured in faceto-face contact with thelower marginal edge of said third primary panel as well as with saidfirst p'rrmary panel whereby said tab is urged into its angulatedposition with respect to said longitudinal partitions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,609,137 Toensmeier Sept. 2, 1952 2,943,762 Richardson July 5, 19603,059,828 Giora Oct. 23, 1962 3,070,258 Engel Dec. 25, 1962 FOREIGNPATENTS 843,718 Great Britain Aug. 10, 1960

1. A CARTON OF THE TYPE FORMED FROM A UNITARY MEMBER AND HAVING ANINTEGRAL WALL STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED SIDEWALLS, A PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED END WALLS AND A BOTTOM; SAID CARTONINCLUDING A TOP CLOSURE INTEGRAL WITH SAID WALL STRUCTURE, AND ANINTERIOR ASSEMBLY; SAID INTERIOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OFLONGITUDINAL PARTITIONS CONNECTED TOGETHER ALONG A COMMON UPPER EDGE ANDEACH EXTENDING ALONG THE CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE CARTON BETWEENA SELECTED PAIR OF MUTUALLY OPPOSED WALLS AND BEING SECURED THERETO; ASLOT IN SAID COMMON UPPER EDGE; A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE PARTITIONSEACH INTEGRALLY AND HINGEDLY CONNECTED, AT ONE END THEREOF, TO ANASSOCIATED LONGITUDINAL PARTITION AND BEING SECURED, AT THE OTHER ENDTHEREOF, TO AN ADJACENT WALL, SAID LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSEPARTITIONS DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE CARTON INTO A PLURALITY OFARTICLE RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS; SAID INTERIOR ASSEMBLY ALSO INCLUDING AHANDLE MEMBER, HAVING AN UNDEREDGE INTEGRAL WITH AND DETACHABLY SECUREDTO A SELECTED ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PARTITIONS; A PAIR OF SHOULDERSON SAID HANDLE, THE LATTER BEING SLIDABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PAIR OFLONGITUDINAL PARTITIONS AND IN SAID SLOT AND BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN AFIRST RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH, WHEN SAID TOP CLOSURE IS IN ITSCLOSED OPERATIVE POSITION, SAID HANDLE MEMBER LIES BENEATH SAID TOPCLOSURE AND A SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH A PORTION THEREOFPROJECTS ABOVE SAID TOP CLOSURE FOR CARRYING PURPOSES; SAID HANDLEMEMBER BEING ADAPTED, UPON INITIAL MOVEMENT TOWARDS ITS SAID SECONDOPERATIVE POSITION, OF DETACHMENT FROM ITS SAID ASSOCIATED LONGITUDINALPARTITION; SAID SHOULDERS BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT THE UNDERSIDE OF SAIDCOMMON UPPER EDGE TO LIMIT THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE IN ITSSAID SECOND OPERATIVE POSITION AND AFTER SAID DETACHMENT; AND A TAB ON ASELECTED ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL PARTITIONS AND ANGULATED WITH RESPECTTO THE VERTICAL PLANE OF THE LATTER, SAID TAB BEING LOCATED ABOVE SAIDTRANSVERSE PORTIONS AND BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL PARTITIONSWHEREBY IT IS ADAPTED TO BE CONTACTED BY SAID UNDEREDGE OF SAID HANDLEMEMBER TO LIMIT THE EXTENT OF MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER TO ITS FIRSTRETRACTED POSITION AFTER SAID DETACHMENT.